Toy top



Jun"e 6, 1950 I F. A. PlcKE-r'r TOY TOP Filed Aug. 26. 1946 Attorneys Patented June 6,1950 if TOY TOP IFrederick A. Pickett, Columbus, Ohio, assignor of seventy-five per cent to Harrison M. Batten,

aColumbus, `Ohio Application August 26, 1946, Serial No. 693,132

4 Claims. 1

This invention appertains to the art of toys and more particularly to 1a, spinning top.

The principal object of the present `invention isv to provide a spinning-top, dispensing with the usual winding cord and -having a mechanical drive means for effecting rotation of the top at high velocity. f

Another object of the invention is to provide a spiral drive for spinning tops which will be far more effective in rotating such ltoys at high velocity than is possible through the use of top cords and other spinning adjuncts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy spinning top and means for rotating the same wherein the partsv arecf simple construction, permitting the outfit to be manufactured and retailed at a low price.

These and-other objects Yand advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the outfit withA portions in section;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2 `2 -of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the operating slide;

Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the abutment plate for the top;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the bearing for spiral shaft.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the top showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 5 generally refers to a pair of wire members 6, 1 which are twisted together to form an elongated screw shaft, the upper end of which has one wire terminating at the point a, while the other extends through a washer 9 and plate I0, beyond which it is flattened to prevent return through the elements 9, I0, this flattened portion being denoted by numeral I I (see Figure '7).

The washer 9 is situated in a depression I2 in the top of a hand grip I3, which is of substantial inverted pear-shape, and disposed over the washer 9 and plate I0, as Well as the flattened portion I I, is a cup-shaped cap member I4 having prongs I5 driven downwardly through notches I6 in the washer 9 to bite into the upper portion of the hand grip I3. Thus the upper end of the spiral shaft 5 is swivelly connected to the upper portion of the hand grip I3.

Numeral I] denotes an operating slide of spool-shape, the same having a body portion I8 and end flanges I9, 20 to prevent slippage of a persons fingers from the slide.

The body IB has an opening 2! therethrough and in this is a spirally formed Wire 22, having its ends anchored in the end portions of the slide. The spiral shaft 5 is in mesh with the convolutions of the spiral wire 22, so that when the slide I'l is slid longitudinally of the shaft 5, by one hand, while the other hand holds the hand grip I3, thespiral shaft 5 will be rotated.

Numeral 23 denotes a top of wood or any other suitablematerial and of conventional configuration, this top having a bore or socket 2i! extending downwardly and axially fromA the top thereof and receiving a vspirally formed wire member 25, the upper and lower portions of which are preferably anchored in the body of the top 23, to prevent any tendency of this spirally formed wire 25 from rotating in the top.

Disposed on the lower end portion of the shaft 5 is a plate having a spaced pair of openings 2i therein through which the Wires 6, l of the spiral shaft 5 extend.

At this point, let it be noted that the twisted portion a above the plate 25'is l'eft-handthreaded and this threading, or spiralling, reverses itself at the point b, so that the few spirals c below the point bare right-hand threaded.

In the use and operation of this toy, the slide I? is first moved to approximately the position shown in Figure 1, or near the hand grip I3, after which the top 23 is screwed onto the portion c of the lower portion of the shaft 5 to the plate 26 on the straight portion b` of the shaft 5.

By now suddenly pushing the slide I1 down the spiral shaft 5, the spiral shaft 5 will be caused to rotate With high velocity and when the stop plate 26 is struck by the slide I1, ending the power stroke of the slide I'l, the top will spiral off of the end portion c of the shaft, dropping onto the floor or other surface, where it will spin rapidly for a considerable period of time.

As a modification of the use of the spirally formed wire member 25 in the bore 2t of the top 23, Figure 8 discloses the lower portion c of the spiral shaft 5 depending into the bore 24a of a top body 23a, and a nail or like driven element 29 driven through a shoulder portion of the top 23a so as to pass across the bore 24a and through the groove-way of the spiral shaft portion c, thus dispensing with the necessity of the spiral wire 25, of the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 and allowing the screwing action to take place against this element 29.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specic terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A toy spinning top comprising a body, a spiral shaft having its major portion threaded in one direction and its lower end portion threaded in an opposite direction, a slide about said shaft having internal threads engaging the threads of the major portion of the shaft, said body having a threaded socket leading from its upper end and into which the lower end portion of the shaft is removably fitted with its threads engaging the threads of the socket, a stop member on the shaft between the oppositely threaded portions thereof and with which the upper end of the body engages, a hand grip having a longitudinally extending bore and a recess at the upper end of the bore, the upper portion of said shaft being loosely passed through said bore and into the recess, a Washer loose about the upper end of the shaft and seated in the recess, and a cap tted into the recess through the upper end thereof and having depending prongs engaging the washer and preventing rotation of the washer in the hand grip.

2. A toy top comprising a body having a socket leading from its upper end, a spiral shaft having its major portion threaded in one direction and its lower end portion threaded in the opposite direction and removably engaged in the socket, a hand grip to which the upper end of said shaft is swivelly connected, a slide fitting about the shaft and having internal threads engaged with the threads of the major portion of the shaft, a threaded formation in the socket engaged with the threads of the lower end portion of the shaft when the shaft is thrust into the socket, and a stop member on the shaft between the oppositely threaded portions thereof bearing against the upper end of the body when the said lower end portion of the shaft is engaged in the socket.

3. A toy top comprising a body having a socket leading from its upper end, a shaft having its major portion threaded in one direction and its lower end portion threaded in an opposite direction and removably engaged in the socket, a hand grip swiveled to the upper end of said shaft, a slide about the shaft having internal threads engaged with the threads of the major portion of the shaft, a helical strand of wire mounted in the socket and constituting threads engaged with the threads of the lower end portion of the shaft when the said lower end portion of the shaft is thrust into the socket, and an abutment carried by said shaft and having abutting engagement with the upper end of the body when the lower end of the shaft is engaged with the body.

4. A toy top comprising a body having a socket leading from the center of its upper end, a shaft having its major portion threaded in one direction and its lower end portion threaded in an opposite direction `and removably engaged in the socket, a hand grip to which the upper end of the shaft is swivelly connected, a slide fitting about the shaft and having internal threads engaged with the threads of the major portion of the shaft, a threaded member in the socket engaged with threads of the lower end of the shaft, said shaft consisting of a pair of wire strands twisted together in one direction to form the major portion of the shaft and then extending in spaced substantially parallel relation to each other and then twisted together in `an opposite direction and forming the lower'end portion of the shaft, and a stop collar having a pair of spaced openings through which the parallel portions of the strands pass to mount the same about the shaft in position for abutting engagement with the upper end of the body when the lower end of the shaft is seated in the socket.

FREDERICK A. PICKETT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pickett Dec. 26, 1916 Number 

